The state-owned airline said it had suspended flights to Mekelle, Shire and Axum because of the security situation in Tigray. It did not give details about what had happened or say when flights would resume.

Three people in Tigray, including a security official, told Reuters that Tigrayan forces seized Mekelle airport overnight, taking control from federal police.

The reported takeover comes after months of growing tension between Ethiopia’s federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which controls the region.

The two sides fought a two-year war from 2020 to 2022 that killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced many more. The conflict ended with a peace agreement signed in Pretoria, South Africa, in November 2022.

But the agreement has failed to fully settle tensions between the two sides, with each accusing the other of failing to honour its commitments.

The latest tensions intensified in May, when the TPLF took control of Tigray’s regional administration from an interim government established under the peace agreement.

On Sunday, the TPLF and six other armed groups announced that they had formed an alliance aimed at challenging Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government.

The developments have raised concerns that Ethiopia could once again face a wider conflict, particularly in Tigray, where the effects of the previous war are still being felt.

For residents and businesses in the region, the suspension of flights adds another layer of uncertainty. Mekelle is Tigray’s largest city and an important centre for trade, travel and humanitarian operations.

The latest crisis also comes as the region remains economically and socially fragile after years of conflict.

Ethiopian government officials and TPLF representatives have not immediately provided detailed public accounts of the reported airport takeover.

The situation remains fluid, with the reported seizure of Mekelle airport and the suspension of flights highlighting the growing security concerns in northern Ethiopia.